Don't tag all youth as vandals: youth leader

By
LIBBY BINGHAM

Jan. 4, 2013, 1 a.m.

AN ULVERSTONE youth group leader is speaking out this week against recent tagging and graffiti vandalism at Ulverstone High School, which she said always tends to "reflect badly on the image of young people in general".

Don't tag all youth as vandals: youth leader

AN ULVERSTONE youth group leader is speaking out this week against recent tagging and graffiti vandalism at Ulverstone High School, which she said always tends to "reflect badly on the image of young people in general".

The community has reacted angrily to the graffiti attack at the school last weekend. Central Coast Mayor Jan Bonde called it a senseless act and school principal Glen Lutwyche said the clean-up could cost up to $5000.

"A lot of people are presuming before anyone has been caught the tagging and graffiti at Ulverstone High was done by youth," Enormity youth group past president Chloe Spicer said

Ms Spicer said whoever did it should be made to perform community service to make recompense.

"I think it would be a better option than giving them a fine," she said.

"Rehabilitation is always better and if it is a young person their parents will most likely pay the fine anyway.

"If they've got to get hands on and do some community work it will have more of an impact and maybe bring a change in attitude."

Ms Spicer said tagging and graffiti seem to be becoming more of an issue locally.

Last year Enormity talked about some ways to fix whatever was leading to this kind of vandalism in the community.

Ms Spicer said Enormity members felt the number of episodes of "tagging and graffiti" were on the rise at Ulverstone.

"I think it is more of an issue and more prominent in the community - and part of the reason could be youth are bored," she said.

"We considered how we could run more events to stimulate activity for youth, including running concerts and some awareness days to make people aware of how these acts of vandalism can affect other people.

"We also talked about having a space for graffiti artists to use."

However, Ms Spicer said there was a difference between graffiti art and "a deliberate act of vandalism" as happened at the high school.